Saturday, January 26, 2008

Time for the NFL to Take Over the Oakland Raiders

Sure, they litigated with Al Davis about the disastrous move to L.A. and lost, but this same Al Davis is turning his franchise into a mockery. Poor Lane Kiffin, who looks like he has some promise as a head coach. Read this story by John Clayton on espn.com, and then wonder aloud why they just don't fence in the entire franchise and call it a zoo.

Kiffin looks to be on the way out, because it looks as though Davis has stripped him of the authority to make personnel decisions and to hire and fire assistant coaches. You'd have to want to be a head coach pretty badly if you would put up with working conditions like the ones Davis appears to be imposing. At 32, Kiffin would appear to have many options, even if it means sitting out a season because many of the attractive jobs have been filled. I did wonder why Kiffin took the job in the first place, given his pedigree and promise, and considering Davis's recent history of impatience and bad decisions. He did go in with his eyes open, but many who do so always figure that somehow they'll be able to transcend the problems of the recent past and succeed. It's a mistake many make, and Kiffin made it.

How many draft picks can Oakland mess up? How many signings? How many coaching decisions? Right now, Oakland is a minor-league team and the place where veterans will sign only if it's their only alternative.

They're now the Los Angeles Clippers of the NFL, and they've become a punch line.